Megan Leigh Montefusco (; born September 3, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays for

Orlando Pride The Orlando Pride is a professional women's soccer team based in Orlando, Florida. The team joined the National Women's Soccer League, the top level of women's soccer in the US, for the 2016 season. It became the tenth team to be added to th ...

in the National Women's Soccer League. She has been capped internationally at senior level by the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

. Montefusco has previously played for the

Chicago Red Stars The Chicago Red Stars are a professional women's soccer club based in Bridgeview, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. A founding member of the Women's Professional Soccer (WPS) league, they have played in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) sin ...

in the

Women's Premier Soccer League The Women's Premier Soccer League (WPSL) is an amateur women's soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is the top amateur league for women's soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, below only National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). ...

, for NWSL teams

Washington Spirit The Washington Spirit is an American professional soccer club based in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area that participates in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). It is a continuation of the D.C. United Women of the W-League and cont ...

Boston Breakers The Boston Breakers were an American professional soccer club based in the Boston neighborhood of Allston. The team competed in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). They replaced the original Breakers, who competed in the defunct Women's ...

Reign FC OL Reign is an American professional women's soccer team based in Seattle, Washington. Founded by Bill and Teresa Predmore in 2012 as Seattle Reign FC, it was one of eight inaugural members of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). In 2020, ...

and

Houston Dash The Houston Dash is a professional women's soccer team based in Houston, Texas. It joined the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) in the 2014 season, and is affiliated with the MLS team Houston Dynamo FC. History Establishment On November ...

, as well as the

Newcastle Jets Newcastle United Jets Football Club, commonly known as Newcastle Jets, is an Australian professional soccer club based in Newcastle, New South Wales. It competes in the country's premier competition, the A-League, under licence from The Australian ...

in the Australian W-League.

Early life

Raised in

Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city. Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...

, Montefusco attended

Neuqua Valley High School Neuqua Valley High School (NVHS) is a public four-year high school located near the corner of Illinois Route 59 and 95th Street in Naperville, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States. Neuqua Valley is the counterpar ...

where she led the soccer to team to a 24–0 record and first place national ranking. A four-time all-state selection and three-time

NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than ...

Youth All-American, she was named All-American by both ESPN RISE and Parade magazines in 2010, and won Gatorade State Player of the Year for Illinois the following year. Montefusco played club soccer for Windy City Pride from 1998 to 2011 and was a member of the regional Olympic Development Program (ODP) for five years. Prior to leaving for college, Montefusco played briefly for the

in the

in 2011. Chicago topped the Midwest Conference North Division and reached the Championship final, eventually losing to Orange County Waves in

extra-time Overtime or extra time is an additional period of play specified under the rules of a sport to bring a game to a decision and avoid declaring the match a tie or draw where the scores are the same. In some sports, this extra period is played only ...

2–1.

Collegiate career

Montefusco attended the

University of California, Los Angeles The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California S ...

where she played four seasons of

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United K ...

for the Bruins from 2011 to 2014 while majoring in

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of empirical investigation an ...

. She joined as the number 21 ranked recruit in the country and first in Illinois by Top Drawer Soccer. Montefusco played in 18 of 21 matches as a freshman under B. J. Snow, making seven starts. She scored her first Bruins goal and only goal of the 2011 season in a 1–0 win over Rutgers on September 4. In 2012, she made 22 appearances as a sophomore but none as a starter. In 2013 under new head coach

Amanda Cromwell Amanda Caryl Cromwell (born June 15, 1970) is an American professional soccer coach and former player, and former head coach of Orlando Pride in the National Women's Soccer League. Cromwell was previously the coach at the University of Centra ...

, Montefusco ranked fourth on the team in minutes played as the Bruins claimed the Pac-12 Conference title before also winning the first NCAA National Championship title in program history. She received All-Tournament honors and served the assist to the game-winning goal during the

final Final, Finals or The Final may refer to: * Final (competition), the last or championship round of a sporting competition, match, game, or other contest which decides a winner for an event ** Another term for playoffs, describing a sequence of con ...

, a 1–0 win in

over Florida State Seminoles. As a senior in 2014, Montefusco started in all 24 of the Bruins' games and helped lead a defensive line that recorded a school record 19 shut-outs, allowing six goals on the year. UCLA retained the Pac-12 conference title and reached the 2014 NCAA College Cup quarterfinals before losing 2–1 to Virginia Cavaliers, the only game the Bruins gave up more than one goal in 2014.

Club career

Washington Spirit, 2015–16

Montefusco was selected in the second round (13th overall) of the

2015 NWSL College Draft The 2015 NWSL College Draft was the third annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select eligible college players. It was held on January 16, 2015 at the NSCAA Convention in Philadelphia, PA. Format *Draft order wa ...

by the

, one of an NWSL record six strong draft class out of UCLA in 2015. During the 2015 season, she started in all 20 matches for the team and became the first player in team history to play every minute of a single season. She scored one goal, the opener in a 2–1 victory away to the

on August 16. The Spirit finished fourth during the regular season with a record to advance to the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

before losing 3–0 in the semifinals to

. Montefusco was named the 2015 Washington Spirit Defender of the Year and Newcomer of the Year. In 2016, she made 17 appearances for the Spirit as the team finished second in the regular season, two points off

Portland Thorns FC The Portland Thorns FC is an American professional women's soccer team based in Portland, Oregon. Established in 2012, the team began play in 2013 in the then-eight-team National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), which receives support from the Uni ...

for the

NWSL Shield The NWSL Shield is an annual award given to the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) team with the best regular season record as determined by the NWSL points system. The NWSL Shield has been awarded annually since 2013 and is recognized as a ...

, and reached the NWSL Championship for the first time in club history before losing the final on penalties after a 2–2 tie with

Western New York Flash The Western New York Flash (WNY Flash) was an American soccer club based in Elma, New York that competed in the United Women's Soccer league. They have won league championships in four different leagues: the USL W-League in 2010, Women's Pro ...

Newcastle Jets (loans), 2015–17

On October 8, 2015, Montefusco joined Australian W-League club

on loan for the 2015–16 season during the NWSL offseason and rejoined Newcastle for the 2016–17 season. The team finished 6th and 5th, missing the playoffs both seasons. At the end of the 2016–17 season, Montefusco was named to the PFA W-League Team of the Season.

Boston Breakers, 2017

On November 17, 2016, it was announced that Montefusco had been acquired by the

via trade along with the No. 3 and No. 9 overall picks in the 2017 NWSL College Draft and the No. 2 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order in exchange for

Kristie Mewis Kristen Anne Mewis (born February 25, 1991) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Gotham FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) and the United States national team. Early life Mewis grew up in Hans ...

Kassey Kallman Kassey Lee Kallman (born May 6, 1992) is an American professional soccer defender. She most recently played for the Washington Spirit of the National Women's Soccer League. Early life Kassey is the daughter of Rich and Laura Kallman. She has ...

and the No. 1 spot in the Distribution Ranking Order. She appeared in 23 of 24 matches during the 2017 season, playing the full 90 minutes in each as Boston finished second bottom ahead of Washington on goal difference.

Reign FC, 2018–19

After Boston Breakers folded in January 2018, Montefusco was selected by

as the third pick in the 2018 NWSL Dispersal Draft. In her first season with Reign, Montefusco started 21 games and scored once as the team finished third, dropping from second with a final day defeat to

before losing in the playoff semifinals to the same opponent a week later. She was a starter in all 20 of her appearances in 2019 before missing the last month of the season with a knee injury.

Houston Dash, 2020–21

On February 3, 2020,

acquired Montefusco in a trade with Reign FC along with

Shea Groom Shea Ellese Groom (born March 4, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Houston Dash in the National Women's Soccer League. Groom played collegiate soccer for Texas A&M Aggies before starting her profession ...

and a second-round pick in the

2022 NWSL Draft The 2022 NWSL Draft was the 10th annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select eligible college players. It was held on December 18, 2021, and hosted remotely by CBS Sports. Format * All 12 teams of the Nationa ...

in exchange for

Sofia Huerta Sofia Christine Huerta (born December 14, 1992) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right back for OL Reign in the National Women's Soccer League and the U.S. women's national soccer team. Huerta played collegiately for t ...

and

Amber Brooks Amber Jean Brooks (born January 23, 1991) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Washington Spirit in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). She has previously played for Adelaide United, Houston Dash, OL Re ...

. With the

2020 NWSL season The 2020 National Women's Soccer League season was the eighth season of the National Women's Soccer League, the top division of women's soccer in the United States. Including the NWSL's two professional predecessors, Women's Professional Soccer ( ...

canceled due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

, Montefusco eventually made her debut in the return to play replacement 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup tournament. She played in five games including the

as Houston beat the

2–0 to claim the club's first trophy. Montefusco had missed the semifinal with fractured ribs but despite this, returned to the lineup and played the full 90 minutes in the final. She played every minute of the

2021 NWSL Challenge Cup The 2021 NWSL Challenge Cup was a league cup tournament that took place during the 2021 National Women's Soccer League season. It began on April 9 and ended May 8, one week before the start of the regular season. It was the second iteration of t ...

and made a further 21 appearances during the regular season as Houston finished in seventh-place, missing the playoffs by one point.

Orlando Pride, 2022–present

On January 28, 2022,

acquired Montefusco in a trade with Houston along with $30,000 in allocation money and a third-round pick in the

2023 NWSL Draft The 2023 NWSL Draft presented by Ally was the eleventh annual meeting of National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) franchises to select amateur players above the age of 18 playing in the United States who exhausted, lost, or renounced any remaining ...

in exchange for Marisa Viggiano.

International career

Montefusco represented the United States at the under-16, under-18 and under-20 national team levels. She received her first call-up to the United States senior team in March 2017 for a pair of friendlies against Russia. She debuted on April 6 as a 68th minute substitute for

Kelley O'Hara Kelley Maureen O'Hara (born August 4, 1988) is an American soccer player, two-time FIFA Women's World Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist. She currently plays as a defender for the Gotham FC in the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) ...

in a 4–0 win before appearing again as a substitute in the next game. In total, Montefusco played 58 minutes for the USWNT.

Personal life

Montefusco's mother, Cindy, played softball and volleyball at Northern Illinois University. Her cousin,

Brittany Bock Brittany Christine Bock (born April 11, 1987) is an American soccer midfielder. Early life Bock was born in Naperville, Illinois and attended Neuqua Valley High School. In 2009, she was enrolled in the Mendoza College of Business The Mendoz ...

, also played soccer professionally, overlapping NWSL careers in 2015 although the two never appeared in the same game. On December 4, 2021, she married former professional Atlantic League and

Frontier League The Frontier League is a professional independent baseball league with teams in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States and Eastern Canada. Formed in 1993, it is the oldest currently running independent league in the United States. The le ...

baseball player Anthony Montefusco in a ceremony at

Old Chicago Main Post Office The Old Chicago Main Post Office is a nine-story-tall building in downtown Chicago. The original building was designed by Graham, Anderson, Probst & White and built in 1921, but the structure was expanded greatly in 1932 in order to serve Chi ...

. He had proposed during a

hot air balloon A hot air balloon is a lighter-than-air aircraft consisting of a bag, called an envelope, which contains heated air. Suspended beneath is a gondola or wicker basket (in some long-distance or high-altitude balloons, a capsule), which carries ...

flight in

Colorado Colorado (, other variants) is a state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It encompasses most of the Southern Rocky Mountains, as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the wes ...

in August 2020.

Career statistics

Club

International

Honors

UCLA Bruins * Pac-12 Conference regular season: 2013, 2014 * NCAA Women's College Cup:

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Houston Dash *

NWSL Challenge Cup The NWSL Challenge Cup, currently known as the UKG NWSL Challenge Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an annual tournament organized by the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), the top-tier women's league in the United States soccer league system. T ...

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global social and economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, worldwide lockdowns and the largest economic recession since the Great Depression in t ...

Individual * Gatorade State Player of the Year (Illinois): 2011 * PFA W-League Team of the Season: 2016–17

References

External links

U.S. Soccer player profile
*
Washington Spirit player profile

Boston Breakers player profile

UCLA Bruins player profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Montefusco, Megan 1992 births Living people Sportspeople from Naperville, Illinois Soccer players from Illinois Women's association football defenders American women's soccer players United States women's international soccer players Parade High School All-Americans (girls' soccer) Women's Premier Soccer League players National Women's Soccer League players A-League Women players UCLA Bruins women's soccer players Chicago Red Stars players Washington Spirit players Newcastle Jets FC (A-League Women) players Boston Breakers players OL Reign players Houston Dash players Orlando Pride players Washington Spirit draft picks OL Reign draft picks American expatriate women's soccer players American expatriate sportspeople in Australia Expatriate women's soccer players in Australia